CHICAGO — Beverages continue to be at the forefront of product innovation, according to the 2023 New Product Pacesetters report from market research firm Circana.

The annual review found energy drinks, sports beverages and hard seltzers accounted for many of the year’s most successful product launches, occupying six of the report’s top 10 rankings and generating nearly $700 million in sales. Circana identified health and wellness brand Alani Nu’s energy drink line as the top food and beverage Pacesetter in 2023 and pointed to Alani’s inclusion of ingredients like biotin, B6 and B 12 vitamins as a key element to its success, enabling the brand to entice a growing number of consumers concerned with performance boosting benefits.

Red Bull and Gatorade, a PepsiCo, Inc., brand, also were able to capitalize on the functional trend with the launches of Red Bull’s Green Edition, which is formulated with dragon fruit that “vitalizes mind and body,” and Gatorlyte, a rehydration and recovery drink formulated with less sugar than Gatorade’s other sports drinks. The beverages ranked No. 8 and No. 9, respectively.

“Consumers are looking for products that provide an energy boost that is more sustained and in new formats,” said Lisa Maas, principle and practice lead of Circana’s Innovation unit. “These products offer ease of consumption, but more importantly more natural energy sources and added health benefits.”

Circana noted affordable hard seltzers offering at-home entertainment and party experiences additionally performed well, with Truly Punch coming in at No. 4, followed by Truly Margarita Style at No. 5 and the Coca-Cola Co.’s Topo Chico Hard Seltzer at No. 10. Other beverage standouts include Mtn Dew Spark at No. 6 and Dr Pepper Zero Sugar, which ranked second among all food and beverage Pacesetters.

 Consumers also are seeking improved at-home meal options and ingredients, according to the report. Pacesetters in this category include a line of frozen entrees from plant-based foods manufacturer Tattooed Chef (No. 7) and Chick-fil-A’s retail sauce and condiment offerings (No. 3), which had sales of more than $140 million in 202w.

“As the world opened back up after the height of the pandemic, consumers had already learned how to have new, fulfilling and value-oriented experiences on their own, and many of those habits stuck,” Circana said. “Many consumers still opt for at-home dining and have elevated expectations for product quality and taste. They want quick and easy, but with a level of excitement that appeals to many members of the household.”